The present volume contains the proceedings of the international symposium on
Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Biosynthesis and Action of the Plant Hormone
Ethylene, held in Agen, France, 1992. Since the last meetings in Israel (1984)
and in Belgium (1988), ethylene physiology has gone through a period of
exciting progress due to new developments in cellular and molecular biology.
New methods and tools have been developed to better understand the role and
functions of ethylene in fruit ripening, flower senescence, abscission, plant
growth, and cell differentiation. Genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis have
been characterized and transgenic plants with altered ethylene production have
been generated. The feasibility of delaying fruit ripening or flower senescence
by genetic manipulation has now been demonstrated, thus opening new
perspectives for the post-harvest handling of plant products. Some progress has
also been made on the understanding of ethylene action. However, much remains
to be done in this area to elucidate the ethylene transduction pathway.
